Introduction: Human papillomavirus vaccination coverage is still not optimal among 13-17 year old adolescents with only 39.7% achieving completion. Differences in completion of the HPV vaccination program by ethnicity is an important area of research which warrants exploration. This study describes factors associated with completion of the HPV vaccine series among Hispanic/Latino and non-Hispanic/Latino White girls who initiated the series.
Methods: A secondary analysis was performed of cross-sectional data from the 2012 National Immunization Survey – Teen: 1,015 Hispanic/Latino and 3,695 non-Hispanic/Latino White girls ages 13-17 who received at least 1 dose of the Huma papillomavirus vaccine. Analyses incorporated weights and adjusted for the clustered complex sample. Logistic regression was used to examine effects of race/ethnicity on HPV vaccine series completion.
Results: Despite higher initiation rates, Hispanic/Latinos who had initiated were just as likely to complete the HPV series (67.3%) than non-Hispanic/Latino whites (68.4%). Not having visited a doctor in the past 12 months, initiating the HPV series at a later age, and geographic mobility were associated with lower HPV series completion among Hispanic/Latinos. Factors associated with lower completion rates among non-Hispanic/Latino Whites were age at time of series initiation, living with a single mother, having an income above poverty level but under $75,000, and living in a rental home.
Conclusions: Factors associated with completion are different for Hispanic/Latino and non-Hispanic/Latino White adolescent girls. Age appropriate series initiation and referrals to tracking or reminder/recall services could improve series completions rates among Hispanic/Latinos.